By law, all new car models must pass certain safety tests and certifying procedures in different countries or regions, such as side impact tests, for example pole side impact tests, before they are sold.
Several reinforcement structures for vehicles having improved side impact crash behavior have been disclosed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,524,404 discloses a B-pillar, i.e., a pillar that supports the roof of a vehicle and that is located between the front and rear side windows, having improved crash behavior and which constitutes a longitudinal steel profile. The longitudinal profile has a first upper longitudinal portion comprised of a martensitic material structure and a strength of more than 1400 N/mm2 and has a second lower longitudinal portion of higher ductility with a predominantly ferritic-perlitic material structure and a strength of below 850 N/mm2.